A partition detection system for mobile ad-hoc networks

A vast amount of applications and mechanisms recently developed for mobile ad-hoc networks could greatly benefit from the utilization of network status information. That includes, but is not limited to the detection of network partitioning. Network partitioning is a form of network failure. A single connected network topology breaks apart into two or more network topologies separated from each other. Nodes within each partition are still able to communicate with each other but nodes in other partitions are unreachable. This paper proposes two different partition detection mechanisms, one using a centralized approach, the other one utilizing the advantages of a distributed mechanism. The simulations show that both approaches detect partitioning reliably, with both having unique advantages.